Study Bridge offers recruitment services to prospective students in London. Get the best of study abroad advice, consultation, all help you need to know.
International students in UK face a number of challenges. Moreover, most of them feel homesick. When foreign students come out for different courses in the UK, most of them go through the same set of challenges. Here’s a list of those challenges:
Language Barrier
Although almost all the international students in UK are decently good at English, the problem isn’t the language here. It can be difficult for anyone to get used to the British accent in the beginning. Apart from that, every English speaking country has a set of phrases that aren’t used anywhere else in the world.
Expenses
You need a good amount of money to study in UK. The United Kingdom is one of the most expensive places to study in. Furthermore, when you’re a foreign student in UK, it can be a tad bit difficult to manage the finances. Apart from the courses in UK, the cost of living is also very high.
Finding A Job
Not the most difficult thing on the list but certainly the most confusing. A lot of international students in UK choose to pay their own bills by getting a part-time job. In many cases, the student visa lets you do this. The confusion comes in when you don’t know how to look for a job. Furthermore, you have no idea about the ideal pay for a specific job.
Culture Shock
One of the most common challenges that strike foreign students in UK is a culture shock. Even students from North America can feel it. Brits are known to do things their own way and you’ll definitely get a taste of that in the first few weeks. Most international students who go to study in UK have no idea about the culture shock.
Fitting In
When there’s so much on your mind and you’re missing home, it’s difficult to fit in. International students often end up making friends with other students from their own country. Subsequently, this restricts them from fitting in and can turn out to be harmful if they’re looking to find a job after completing their courses in UK.
Get extensive support for studying in UK with our expert student counseling and support services. For more details, write to us at info@studybridge.co.uk and be assured of a career in one of the best study abroad destinations in the world.
The Pearson BTEC Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET) is for candidates looking forward to get a qualification in teaching domain, present teachers, and trainers/counsellors. It is specifically for the ones who work in or have plans to work in the work-based learning, advanced education and independent Training Providers (ITP) domain. The newcomers to the industry and existing professionals who wish to excel in their teaching qualifications can utilize this course to their career advancements.
Key Benefits
Progress on to a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) Degree
The DET qualification is recognized equal to the Certificate of Education qualifications in the format of higher education qualifications. Individuals who have already qualified with the Pearson BTEC Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training can further progress to Level 6 in Bachelor of Education
(B.Ed.) or B.A. (Hons.) Education at various Universities of the UK.
On Course Completion, the students may choose to:
Complete portfolios with SET
Progress to a B.A. in Education or Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)
Get employment in various positions starting from functional skills teacher, online/e-tutors, further education teacher, to training officer and manager.
Entry Requirement
The Applicants must be above 19 years of age.
At least one A-Level or a Level 3 Qualification or equivalent and 4 GCSE’s with a GCSE Grade C and above in English and Maths or equivalent.
Applicant must have some previous experience or qualification in the subject for undertaking the DET Programme
Applicants must have entree to 100 hours of teaching/training and must provide a proof of confirmed work placement
Applicants without above qualifications can apply and they will be assessed on the basis of their work experience or professional qualifications.
Non-English speaking applicants will be required to provide an evidence of their proficiency in English Language with an overall and individual subject score of 5.5 and more IELTS score.
Tuition Fees and Maintenance
We dedicatedly work for our prospective students to ascertain the costs and funding opportunities for them while they choose to apply at our partner Universities. You can check you eligibility for Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma here.
Student Loans and Grants
You may also avail a student loan or a grant to cover your tuition fees and maintenance loan towards your expenses. The loan amount gets disbursed to your registered bank account at the time of the beginning of the term. Student loans are subject to be paid back on completion of the course without any delay.
The Student Grant is also disbursed to your bank account. An additional amount is also applicable (up to £3,250) for qualified full time students and which is not supposed to be paid back. You can learn more about student loans and grants here. Childcare Grant is also available for students who are parents and an additional money for childcare along with other financial support for the parents is paid to them.
Let’s keep one thing absolutely clear, studying abroad in London is both transformational and delightful. This city offers more than you ever expect, irrespective of your finances, interests and personal preferences. Here are a few important things you need to know so can be prepared before landing into London City – aka ‘The Square Mile’.
Want to know important things before you start studying in London, UK
Find the complete list of important instructions you should be aware of mentioned below:
The Grandeur of London
Student Friendly City Travel
Student Discounts on the Food, Clothing, Gadgets and more…
London has tons of free things to do, and it’s really amazing
Outdoors, Museums, Parks and the Unpredictable Weather
Access to your favourite brands and stuff
Network with People
Partying and Clubbing is expensive
About the weather
Global City London
The Grandeur of London
Most people can’t even imagine how big London is. ‘The Square Mile’ City has a wider spread. Although maximum parts of London are walk-friendly, still you will need public transport, especially if your student accommodation is not situated in Central London. There are Apps to guide you from point A to point B.
Student Friendly City Travel
While studying abroad in London, you can avail up to 30% off using travel cards and bus and tram pass season tickets all with just single Student Oyster Photocard.
A 16-25 Railcard is also a good way to save 1/3 on your rail travel and pay on use tube fares for only Pound 30 for a year. You can simply pay off this extra amount of annual subscription with just your weekend trips traveling to other parts of the UK.
Another great option for saving on transportation on day trips or weekend travel across the UK while studying abroad in London happens to be the BritRail Pass. It gives you access to unlimited travel for a number of days every month. It could be easily availed from your current place in advance via online.
Student Discounts on the Food, Clothing, Gadgets and more…
Apart from transportation, Students in London can enjoy the discounts in Food, Clothing, Electronics, Gym memberships and more. Ex. Unidays is a good place to get your discounts with simple signup which is free of cost.
NUS Card is also there which is chargeable but offers more benefits with better deals across London, the UK, and Europe.
London has tons of free things to do, and it’s really amazing
You must be aware of the fact that London is expensive especially if you are on a student budget. Still, there are many free things in London that are worth exploring and even if you are visiting for a single semester or longer you can keep yourself engaged in activities and you will never feel, ‘what to do now?’
Outdoors, Museums, Parks and the Unpredictable Weather
Museums in London are mostly free to visit, and they are best for bad weather days. Photogenic around the city like Shoreditch, Notting Hill and Camden, are perfect spots to spend your time, click tons of memories while spending a few or no cash at all.
Parks in the city are free to visit. In good weather conditions grab some snacks, friends and go on for a picnic in one of London’s world-famous green spaces.
Access to your favourite brands and stuff
Compared to the other parts of the world you can feel at home with access to all your favourite brands and even some dedicated to a country space to make you feel shopping at your hometown while you are feeling a bit homesick. So while coming to study in London you can be rest assured and pack light as you can easily get all you need here in London City.
Network with People
The Londoners may not be as approachable as others but you can definitely rely on meetup groups and other occasions to connect with people of all types of interest for free.
Also, be informed of the University events in your campus, they are usually free and include complimentary beer, food and a lot of excitement.
Partying and Clubbing is expensive
While studying abroad in London, if you are planning to go out every night and you have a low budget, you may spend all your semester’s money on partying out without even noticing it. We would suggest you to rather go around exploring the city.
If you visit early in the evening you may even get yourself a free entry. There are lot many bars around the city offering great happy hour deals for early visitors.
About the weather
Listen to the ones who have been living in London for long. They say Londoners are so good with the weather that they embrace every season and even the sudden changes in the weather.
Global City London
London is an English Speaking country yet it is a multicultural city. Londoners come from all around the world, speaking different languages from different cultures. London is a good global destination to experience a good learning and cultural environment.
IELTS – General or Academic? IELTS is available in two variations:
Academic: When you are applying for higher education or professional registration
General: When you are migrating to Australia, Canada, the UK, or looking to apply for secondary education, trainings, internships, or for work in an English speaking country. Although both versions – General or Academic assesses 4 language skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
HOW TO CRACK THE LISTENING SECTION
The listening section is divided into 4 sections. Every sections starts with instructions and questions you are given time to read. Here are a few points to remember:
Read Instructions and Questions and listen to every detail
Please do not hurry. Take time and understand what you have to do. Then move ahead to your answers or conclusions.
Copy answers at the end of the test
Do not rush to copy your answers in the sections breaks. You will be getting total 10 minutes after test to copy answers to the Answer Sheet. Use the time in between sections to read the next questions.
Focus on Listening and not on Grammar or Spelling
In the end you can check for the grammar and spelling while transferring your answers to the answer sheet.
First write down your Answers on the Paper
While listening, write your answers on the test paper. It will save you time and help you stay focused on your questions.
Finally, check for spelling and grammar
Before you hand in your answer sheet make sure you have checked everything there is no error as per your knowledge. Don’t rush and keep some extra time for this important task.
HOW TO CRACK THE IELTS READING SECTION
The reading skills need prediction, finding specific information, identifying opinions, etc., which are same for both Academic and General Training Test, only the test type will be different. Academic texts are similar to University Readings whereas in General Training Paper are like documents, newspapers and flyers which are given to the candidates.
Once again, check the instructions very carefully.
Some tasks need you to use words from the text in the answer, in others you must use your own words.
Do not be bothered if you are not aware of the meanings of certain words
At first you may panic if English is not your first language, you may not know some vocabulary, so just move on and try to get the complete understanding of the sentence.
Read. And do nothing else but Read.
While doing your preparation you must give atleast an hour to read. The more you read the wider your vocabulary becomes making the test easier for you.
Use your time wisely
Reading test is of one hour. Try to finish each section in 20 minutes to ensure you have 3-4 minutes in the end of each section for transferring and checking answers.
Say no to blanks
Attempt every question. Whether you know an answer or not do not leave any answer blank. Incorrect answers do not come with any minus marking, try to guess and stand a chance to score more.
HOW TO HIT THE IELTS WRITING SECTION
Both for Academic or General Test, for writing section you will have two tasks to complete in 60 minutes. For Writing Task 1 of IELTS Academic Test, you need to write a summary of at about150 words with response to a graph, table, chart, or process.
For the Writing Task 1 of General Test, candidates are asked to write a letter to address and resolve a problem. Task 2 of both General and Academic Tests a topic is given to write in response within 250 words.
Use appropriate writing style
Use formal language for writing essays and informal language for writing informal letters.
Answer the question correctly
As long as you answer the question there is no right or wrong answer. Your language skills are evaluated and not your ideas.
Keep it succinct
Brief and right answers is the key to success.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Check for the 250 words and how they look like by practicing on official writing forms in your own handwriting. Do it before the test.
Stick to the Topic
Know the subject of the test? What it is about? Write about that and stay with the topic for the entire session.
HOW TO HIT THE IELTS SPEAKING SECTION
The final section involves you in conversation with the examiner, requiring you to talk about a given topic for the 20 minutes.
Effective communication is the key
Here general knowledge is not evaluated but your skill to communicate effectively is.
Listen clearly before speaking
Applicable everywhere, this tip has a great use in IELTS’ speaking section. Let examiner speak out his question, think and then speak.
Keep the meter on
Keep talking and see your score go high. But only sense.
Stick to the topic
Listen and come back to the topic. Explain your points and sum up everything with a conclusion.
Talk Well
Be fluent and use the words you have learnt. Try to show off as much vocabulary as possible.
For all Sections: Stick to the timeline but do not panic
Know you have to have patience and never panic in any given situation.
Conclusion: When you are following the tips you can be assured of a good score and landing at desired campus. Best wishes.
Studying abroad gives one exposure to better learning and vibrant career options. The only thing that bothers is the funding for your education and we at Study Bridge believe that the student funding should be easily accessible to every deserving candidate. Here’s a sneak peak on how to get to fulfill your dreams.
Whether you have chosen your institution or not, you still need to be sure of your finances while planning to study abroad. And since the customary banks don’t serve the international borrower’s needs we came up with unique support system to ensure funding should always be there for the right candidate. At Study Bridge, we serve students with the latest funding options to ensure a hassle free process of acquiring loans.
What traditional banks require?
Collateral, Co-signers, Guarantors or other Documentation that students usually don’t have. Due to this a lot many students are forbidden from better higher education of their choice and as per their career path resulting in some bad choices that impact their future. Which is a big problem in the students in current age and it had to be taken care off immediately.
Rise and role of a Higher Education Funding Consultant
A funding consultant is someone who gives you better opportunities in terms of student loan with best possible solutions to maximize the outcome of your loan. We simply evaluate and analyze your profile, process your documents and work for you till you get your funding.
As an education funding consultant we are always on the lookout for the future leaders to invest in while supporting them through their education and career development.
Importance of Technology in Finance – Fintech
Our system serves rightly to evaluate and access your profile and credit history, ensuring you will be a good financial as well as social return for your investors.
The Study Bridge Advantage:
Repayment starts 6 months after class ends
No co-signer or collateral required
No penalties for prepayment
Network of 150 eligible countries
Member benefits for Study Bridge Student Community
Scholarships and Perks Community Members
Steps to avail loan through Study Bridge:
Apply through our online portal – at max. take 20 minutes
Get a quote within two working days which will be valid for next 2 weeks
Upload documents
Proof of identity (your passport)
Proof of admission
Credit report*
Proof of address
Proof of income
Proof of savings (if applicable)
Proof of scholarships or company sponsorship (if applicable)
Financial aid form (if applicable)
Sign your loan agreement document
Get funds transferred to your institute
Focus on your studies
Loan Repayment and completion of the process
Conclusion
You can now fulfill your higher education dream with our student funding assistance. Be ready with all your essential documents and connect with us to know more on how we can assist you getting your education funding without facing the difficulties faced while dealing with traditional borrowing institutions. Write to us at Study Bridge and get ready to set the sail for your higher education in the UK.